Africa: Dialogue with China

Lord Judd: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What arrangements they are making to develop dialogue with the Government of China on African issues and the opportunities for practical co-operation in Africa.

Lord Triesman: The Government have significantly increased their dialogue with China on African issues in recent months. My right honourable friend the Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, and I have discussed Africa-related issues with senior members of the Chinese Government in London, and my right honourable friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs did so in Beijing in July this year. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Department for International Development (DfID) officials, including both Permanent Under-Secretaries, have discussed Africa during visits to Beijing. The FCO and DfID both plan to further formalise this dialogue: DfID plans regular senior official level talks with the Chinese on development issues with a strong emphasis on Africa. FCO and DfID posts in Beijing and in Africa are also developing their contacts with Chinese colleagues, including on opportunities for practical co-operation. Through this dialogue we will be encouraging China, in line with its growing engagement in Africa, to get more involved in relevant multilateral initiatives and actively to reinforce Africa's own agenda for promoting good governance and sound economic management.
	The UK also strongly supported the agreement by the EU and China at their summit in September to develop a structured dialogue on Africa. The EU hopes this will be able to start early in 2007.

Aviation: Climate Change

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the conclusion on page 341 of the Stern review that the impact of aviation on climate change is two to four times higher than the impact of the carbon dioxide emissions alone.

Lord Rooker: The impact of aviation on climate change is not limited to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Stern's conclusion on the non-CO2 impacts of aviation reflects the estimate made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the total climate change impact of aviation is two to four times greater than that of its CO2 emissions alone. This is due to some of the other emissions released, including nitrous oxides (NOx), particulates and water vapour, and their specific effects at altitude. There is, however, a need for further research to quantify these effects more accurately.
	Our aim is for aviation to join the EU Emissions Trading Scheme as soon as possible. Under the UK's chairmanship, the EU Environment Council agreed that emissions trading seems to be the best way forward and called on the Commission to produce a legislative proposal by the end of 2006. One of the key issues that will need to be considered as part of any proposal is how the non-CO2 impacts of aviation should be covered. There are technical challenges and scientific uncertainties surrounding the inclusion of non-CO2 effects in emissions trading. We believe that it is important to set out a pathway to improving understanding of the climate impacts of aviation and the trade-offs involved.

Aviation: Climate Change

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the figure 0.2704 kilogram/carbon dioxide per passenger mile travelled used by Carbonfund.org is an appropriate emission value for the purposes of offsetting air travel.

Lord Rooker: The conversion factors published in Defra's Guidelines for Company Reporting on Greenhouse Gas Emissions are currently 0.11 kilogram/carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre for long-haul travel, and 0.15 kilogramme/carbon dioxide per passenger kilometre for short-haul. For the purposes of the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund, a multiplier of x2 is applied to the estimated totals to take into account the additional climate impact of non-CO2 emissions at altitude. These conversion factors are being reviewed and new figures will be announced soon.

Carbon Emissions: Clean Development Mechanism

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much money they have so far invested in the clean development mechanism and on which projects; and how much money they are intending to invest over the next three years.

Lord Rooker: The UK Government have consistently provided voluntary financial contributions in support of the clean development mechanism (CDM) in line with the Kyoto scale. For 2006, the UK provided $740,000. With current pledges paid and a levy on credits being taken to cover administrative expenses of the mechanism, it is expected that no further such contributions will be needed.
	The Government are on track to meet their Kyoto target and are therefore not intending to purchase credits from the CDM for compliance. However, the Government are purchasing credits from CDM projects to offset emissions from air travel undertaken in the course of official business. These will be sourced from small-scale energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The Government are facilitating involvement of businesses in the CDM market by approving the participation of companies not only from the UK but further afield. The list of 183 approved projects until November 2006, which covers a range of different mitigation activities, is available on the Defra website at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/internat/kyotomech/documents/cdm-dna-approvals.pdf.
	The CDM market has grown enormously in the past year, with an estimated 1,300 projects and 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in the pipeline to 2012. The UK is the major private sector participant in the CDM market, with UK companies participating in some 28 per cent of currently registered CDM projects and with an estimated $2 billion of private funds invested in London.

Climate Change: Greenhouse Gases

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have commissioned research into the potency of (a) methane as a greenhouse gas, and (b) nitrous oxide as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide; and, if so, what were the results of this research.

Lord Rooker: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has developed a methodology for calculating the relative climate effects of different greenhouse gases. This provides the relative contribution of a tonne emission of each gas, relative to the effect of a tonne emission of carbon dioxide integrated over a fixed time period. A 100-year time horizon has been chosen in view of the relatively long time-scale for addressing climate change. This factor is known as the global warming potential (GWP).
	GWPs are given in the table below for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These were published by the IPCC in its third assessment report.
	
		
			 Gas GWP 
			 Carbon dioxide 1 
			 Methane 23 
			 Nitrous oxide 296 
		
	
	The GWP values used for calculating national greenhouse gas emissions reported to the United Nations framework convention on climate change are by international agreement taken from IPCC's second assessment report and differ slightly from the values shown in the table.
	Taking account of GWPs and the level of emissions of different gases, the UK greenhouse gas inventory shows that in 2004 carbon dioxide accounted for about 84 per cent of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Methane and nitrous oxide contributed about 8 per cent and 6 per cent respectively. Research conducted by the Hadley Centre takes account of the detailed effects of these gases on the climate including the interactions between the gases, the oceans and the terrestrial biosphere.

Crime: Rape

Lord Campbell-Savours: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many persons imprisoned for rape have been given early release from prison where the original allegations leading to conviction have been shown to be false in each of the past five years.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The information requested is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Cyprus: Direct Flights

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 1 February 2005 (WA 29-30), what progress has been made since Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the Annan plan to end the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus's international isolation in respect of (a) direct flights, and (b) direct exporting facilities; and what progress they have made towards honouring specific undertakings to end Turkish Cypriot isolation given at the time of the referendum.

Lord Triesman: Following the rejection of the Annan plan by the Greek Cypriot community in 2004 EU Foreign Ministers agreed to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community. To this end, we welcome the EU Commission's recent financing decision for €38.1 million to facilitate the economic integration of the island and to improve contact between the two communities and with the EU. We also welcome the favourable opinion of the Pologne, Hongrie Assistance à la Reconstruction Economique (PHARE) committee on the second tranche of €120 million for the Turkish Cypriots.
	Financial aid is a significant step, but alone it is not enough to lift the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots. The EU presidency is also working with the parties to broker an agreement that would allow direct trade between the Turkish Cypriot community and the EU. We fully support their efforts and encourage the parties to engage constructively in discussions. We also welcome the opening of new crossing points on the Green Line and amendments to the Green Line Regulation to facilitate trade between the two communities and, indirectly, the EU. We support lifting the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and remain in favour of direct flights in principle. However, without the co-operation of the Republic of Cyprus significant legal obstacles remain.

Cyprus: Direct Flights

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean on 21 February 2005 (WA 149—50), what progress has been made since the Turkish Cypriots voted to accept the Annan plan towards obtaining the legal clarification necessary to allow direct flights to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Lord Triesman: Without the co-operation of the Republic of Cyprus there remain significant legal obstacles to direct flights between the UK and Northern Cyprus. However, we support lifting the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and in principle we remain in favour of direct flights.

Education: Social Background

Baroness Morris of Yardley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What source of information they use to determine the social class background of students entering higher education.

Lord Adonis: The only available source of social class and socio-economic information on HE students comes originally from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Socio-economic data are currently derived from the information given by applicants on parental occupation using the standard occupational classification 2000. For entry up to and including 2001, social class data were derived from parental occupation using the standard occupational classification 1990. The national statistics socio-economic classification (NS-SEC) was introduced in 2001 to replace social class. The two classifications are not directly comparable.
	The parental education information is given voluntarily, and as such a proportion of applicants have their NS-SEC recorded as "unknown". Socio-economic data are handed over to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) each year to be included in its student record. This information is then used to inform a performance indicator, which is based on only those entrants with known NS-SEC. The social class and socio-economic class performance indicators are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Proportion of English-domiciled full-time first degree entrants to university from the lower social classes/lower socio-economic classes 
			  Lower social classes (IIIM, IV, V) Lower socio-economic classes (4-7) 
			 1997-98 24.7 n/a 
			 1998-99 24.9 n/a 
			 1999-2000 25.1 n/a 
			 2000-01 25.3 n/a 
			 2001-02 25.5 n/a 
			 2002-03 n/a 27.9 
			 2003-04 n/a 28.2 
			 2004-05 n/a 27.9 
			 n/a: not available 
			 The socio-economic classification was introduced in 2002-03 to replace the social class groupings. The two classifications are not directly comparable. 
			 Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency Performance Indicators 
		
	
	In addition, the department draws directly on UCAS application and acceptance data on the proportions of applications and acceptances from lower NS-SECs.
	The Youth Cohort Study (YCS) is a series of longitudinal surveys that contacts a sample of an academic year-group of young people in the spring following completion of compulsory education and again one and/or two years later. The YCS is not used to determine the social class background of students entering higher education, but it can be used to look at the education and labour market experience, training and qualifications of young people from different socio-economic groups.

EU: Promoting Citizenship

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by Lord Adonis on 21 November (WS 40), whether they will place in the Library of the House a copy of the draft resolution on implementing common objectives for young people to promote their active European citizenship.

Lord Adonis: A copy of the resolution on implementing common objectives for young people to promote their active European citizenship is being placed in the Library of the House.

EU: Promoting Citizenship

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 21 November (WS 40), what is the estimated cost of implementing the draft resolution on implementing common objectives for young people to promote their active European citizenship; and how much of this estimated cost will be met by the United Kingdom.

Lord Adonis: The resolution invites member states to ensure that agreed common objectives and good practice for provision of information to and active participation by youth are put in place. As such good practice is already in place in the national systems within the UK, there should be no additional cost involved.

Football: Use of Olympic Stadium

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have ruled out the use of the London Olympic stadium for professional football after the Olympic Games in 2012; and
	Whether they have consulted the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games about the possible use of the Olympic stadium for professional football after the Olympic Games in 2012; and whether they are in favour of or against such a proposal.

Lord Davies of Oldham: No final decisions have been taken on the legacy use of the Olympic stadium. However, consistent with the commitment in the London 2012 Candidate File, the Olympic board has approved that the brief to the designers is for a 25,000 seat stadium with athletics at its core after the 2012 Games. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), in consultation with stakeholders, is currently producing a legacy business plan which will provide greater detail about how the stadium will be used post-2012. A number of different options remain under consideration.
	Officials from the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have been present at a number of meetings at which the legacy use of the Olympic stadium has been discussed. The Olympic board, of which Sebastian Coe, chair of LOCOG, is a member, discussed options for the Olympic stadium at its meeting on 28 June 2006 and received an update from the ODA on the stadium design and build procurement process at its meeting on 25 July 2006. Any decisions on the legacy use for the stadium will be taken at the Olympic board.

Freedom of Information: Radioactive Materials

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many requests for information concerning radioactive materials such as uranium they have received in recent years; and how many of these requests have been granted.

Lord Truscott: In 2005 the department received 12 Freedom of Information Act requests related to nuclear materials. Of those 12, four were granted in full and two were granted in part. From 1 January 2006 until 31 October 2006 we have received six requests, of which three were granted in full and one was granted in part.

Guantanamo Bay

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will make representations to the Government of the United States to secure the early closure of Guantanamo Bay and the release of the remaining detainees not scheduled for trial in the United States under due process.

Lord Triesman: We regularly make representations to the US Administration about the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. We have made it clear that we regard the circumstances under which detainees continue to be held there as unacceptable. The US Government know our views. We welcome President Bush's continued commitment to close the detention facility. We recognise that careful consideration needs to be given to how it is closed so that international security is maintained and the human rights of detainees are respected, including if they are transferred back to their countries of origin.

Health: Pfizer Products Distribution

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have received on the consequences for patients of Pfizer's decision, as the major supplier of medicines to the National Health Service, that from 5 March 2007 all its products will be distributed into the United Kingdom medical supply chain by one logistics service provider; and what action they will take to ensure patient safety.

Lord Warner: Since the announcement by Pfizer on 28 September 2006 of future changes to the distribution arrangements for its drugs, the department has received approximately 460 written representations concerned with this issue. Of these, 71 were from honourable Members and the remainder from pharmacists, wholesalers and the public. Additionally, there have been 10 House of Commons Parliamentary Questions on the issue. The department will monitor these new arrangements with a view to taking corrective action if appropriate.

Health: Psychologists

Lord Turnberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What consideration they are giving to proposals for an independent regulatory body for psychologists working within and without the National Health Service.

Lord Warner: The Government set out their proposals for the statutory regulation of applied psychologists in their March 2005 public consultation document, Applied Psychology: Enhancing public protection: Proposals for the statutory regulation of applied psychologists. More recently, the department held a four-month period of consultation on our proposals to reform the regulation of medical and non-medical healthcare professionals, following the recommendations made by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, and the advisory group headed by Andrew Foster earlier this year. This consultation ended on 10 November 2006. We are now considering the way forward in the light of responses and the Government's policy objectives. We expect to publish our proposals shortly.

Heritage Champions

Lord Howarth of Newport: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the responsibilities of the local authority heritage champions; how many of them have so far been appointed; what benefits are expected to accrue from their appointment; what guidance they receive on engaging with others who have significant responsibility for heritage assets in their areas; whether they will place in the Library of the House a current list of local authority heritage champions' contact details; and whether in future they will maintain an up-to-date list on a website.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Historic environment (HE) champions provide leadership for heritage issues within their local authority. They help to ensure that its policies, plans and strategies promote sustainable development of the historic environment—including realisation of its economic, social and environmental potential—in ways that support local, regional and national priorities. In doing so, they encourage communities to take ownership of their heritage. In the medium term, HE champions will also have an important role in engaging their local authority with implementation of reforms arising from the Government's heritage protection review.
	Since 2004, when DCMS and DCLG Ministers wrote to local authorities urging them to appoint member-level HE champions as a symbol of their commitment to heritage issues, more than half of authorities in England (223) have taken the opportunity to do so. I am arranging for details of current HE champions to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. An up-to-date list of local authorities with an appointed champion is available on English Heritage's historic environment local management website (www.helm.org.uk). This provides access to information, guidance, case studies and training opportunities for elected members and officers, and is a resource for everyone with an interest in local stewardship of the historic environment. By the end of 2006, it will also feature an interactive map providing details of champions alongside other useful contacts, such as county archaeologists and conservation officers.
	In addition to resources made available through the HELM website, English Heritage offers newsletters, training, publications and support to help champions carry out their role, to keep them up to date, develop their skills, share ideas and build partnerships. It is working with the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment which promotes the appointment of complementary design champions to achieve this.

House of Lords: Fair Trade Products

Lord Hoyle: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	What fair trade products are sold in the House of Lords.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The refreshment department's purchasing policy for the supply of fair trade products is currently limited to tea, coffee and chocolate which are used in all restaurant, cafeteria, bar and banqueting outlets. In addition to these hot drink products, some confectionery bars and biscuits are also available in the River Restaurant. It is the intention to review further opportunities to increase the range of products available.

House of Lords: Security

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	Whether security advice is tendered by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police or by his officers to the Lord Speaker.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Lord Speaker receives security advice from the Metropolitan Police and other agencies. This advice can be received direct from their principals but is normally channelled through Black Rod and the security co-ordinator.

Housing: Low-carbon Building Programme Grants

Lord Beaumont of Whitley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What work is being or has been done to predict the likely demand for low-carbon building programme grants.

Lord Truscott: When the low-carbon buildings programme was launched on 1 April 2006, £28.5 million was made available for allocation over three years to successful applicants. As of 27 November 2006, £5.3 million has been committed to 3,732 household applicants, of which £0.6 million has been paid to 574 grant claimants. A further £0.9 million has been committed to 59 community applicants. We continue to monitor the uptake of grants going forward.

Immigration: Tribunals

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the terms of reference of the exercise currently being conducted on the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal by PA Consulting; and what is its cost.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The objective of the exercise currently being undertaken by PA Consulting at the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal is to provide a detailed analysis of judicial members' time. The exercise will study the split of judicial time between hearing cases, writing up determinations and other judicial and managerial duties. The cost of the exercise is £198,000.

Immigration: Tribunals

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What were the recommendations which were implemented on the exercise conducted on the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal by PA Consulting in 2004, and what was the cost of that exercise.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: PA Consulting did not undertake any consultancy work for the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) in 2004. However, a project to evaluate judicial sitting patterns was undertaken in 2001-02. The IAA subsequently adopted the project's recommendation to establish a judicial sitting pattern based on immigration adjudicators hearing cases on one day and writing up their decisions the following day. The cost of the exercise was £124,519.

Iraq: British Business

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they reviewed the travel advice issued to British businesses for travellers to Iraqi Kurdistan; on what basis the security assessment was made; who made the assessment; and whether they plan to review the advice issued.

Lord Triesman: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is responsible for travel advice for all British citizens travelling to Iraq, including the Kurdish regional government administered area. The travel advice for Iraq was last amended in August 2006 and is under constant review. The advice we give is based on a number of factors, including our assessment of the security threat and effectiveness of security forces in country, and the advice of our posts in Iraq.

Iraq: Christian Minorities

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assistance they have given to the Kurdish regional government for the protection of the Christian minorities in the region, and in particular for the resettlement programme for the Assyrians in the Nineveh Plain.

Lord Triesman: The Government have not provided assistance to the Kurdish regional government (KRG) for the protection of the Christian minorities in the region. However, we continue to raise the protection of minority groups with the Government of Iraq, political and religious leaders, and members of civil society. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary highlighted the importance of ensuring the security and welfare of Iraq's minorities with Prime Minister al-Maliki when she met him in September 2006. Our missions in Baghdad and Kirkuk have regular contacts with minority communities.
	The Iraqi and draft Kurdish constitutions contain provisions which guarantee democratic principles, rights and freedoms for all individuals, including freedom of worship. In his inaugural speech to the Kurdistan National Assembly on 14 June 2005, KRG President Masoud Barzani said:
	"Turkomen and Chaldo-Assyrians are our respected brothers and sisters and we will do whatever is within our capability and authority for the sake of their well-being. We all live together on this land. Our destiny, our joys and sorrows, are common. We consider ourselves their advocates and defenders of their rights".

Iraq: Funding

Lord Clement-Jones: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the aid package for Iraq recently announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer will include funding for infrastructure in Kurdistan.

Baroness Amos: The £100 million announced by the Chancellor on 18 November will support technical assistance to the Iraqi ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance. It will serve to help the Government of Iraq, as well as provincial governments, by:
	strengthening the Government's management of the economy;helping the Government undertake structural economic reforms; andtackling blockages in domestic investment.
	This contribution will also help to support UK work in Basra, including helping the local government to implement critical improvements in water supplies, electricity distribution and road repairs; supporting police training and anti-corruption initiatives; and helping to revive local business and agriculture.

Iraq: Refugees

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What practical and financial help they and their international partners are providing to Iraqis who have fled to Syria and Jordan; and whether the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are able to assist those who wish to move to third countries.

Baroness Amos: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that since 2003, at least 1.6 million people have been displaced by violence in Iraq, most of them to Jordan (700,000), Syria (500,000 to 600,000), Saudi Arabia (100,000) and Lebanon (20,000 to 40,000). Since the February 2006 Samarra bombing, more than 425,000 have been displaced as a result of the increased sectarian violence.
	The UN Assistance Mission to Iraq (UNAMI) is currently conducting an assessment of these people's needs. The UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) are working closely together in the region and monitor the situation from their offices in Jordan and Syria. Their support includes undertaking assessments to identify locations, numbers and needs of vulnerable people, acting as an advocate for Iraqi refugees and asylum seekers, resettlement, supporting education programmes, and providing emergency medical services and meals to extremely vulnerable groups such as orphans and women at risk.
	Since 2003, DfID has provided more than $100 million to humanitarian agencies working with Iraqis displaced by the violence, both within Iraq and in neighbouring countries. We will continue to work with these agencies and other international partners, as well as the Government of Iraq, to ensure that the needs of displaced Iraqis are met.

Iraq: Saddam Hussein

Lord Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What representations they have made and intend to make to the authorities in Iraq concerning the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Lord Triesman: We regularly make the United Kingdom's opposition to the use of the death penalty in all cases clear to the Government of Iraq and will continue to do so.

Israel and Palestine: Gaza

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they support the United Nations Human Rights Council's proposals for a United Nations fact-finding mission to Gaza.

Lord Triesman: The UN Human Rights Council met in special session on 15 November following the incident in Beit Hanoun on 8 November which resulted in the deaths of 19 Palestinian civilians. The council passed a resolution mandating an urgent fact-finding mission to Gaza. The UK, along with the EU, could not support the draft resolution as it was unbalanced and did not reflect adequately the complexity of the situation. We will, however, consider with interest the fact-finding mission's eventual report.

Israel and Palestine: Gush Enumim

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will hold discussions with the Government of the United States about the decision in 2005 to allow Israel to take territory in and around the Gush Enumim settlement block east of east Jerusalem, in light of new evidence that these areas are still legally owned by Palestinian citizens.

Lord Triesman: We have no plans to discuss this specific matter with the US Government. The US Government share our concerns about the routing of the barrier and settlement construction. We fully recognise Israel's right to self-defence and agree that a barrier is a reasonable way to achieve this. However, we call for the barrier to be built either on or behind the Green Line. The route, which the Israeli Cabinet approved on 20 February 2005, takes in a number of Israeli settlements, whose presence is illegal under international law. It also threatens to split the West Bank in two, which in turn undermines the prospects for a two-state solution. We are profoundly concerned at the impact that the barrier has on the lives of Palestinians and deplore the destruction of Palestinian homes and the confiscation of land associated with its construction. We have made our concerns extremely clear to the Israeli Government and will continue to do so.

Israel and Palestine: Occupied Territories

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What specific action they are taking to prevent violations of international law by Israel through attacks on civilians, house and property destruction, movement restrictions and the positioning of the separation wall and barrier, within occupied or allegedly annexed territories.

Lord Triesman: We welcome the mutual ceasefire in Gaza between the Palestinians and Israel. We are concerned at the occasional firing of Qassam rockets from Gaza into Israel but we welcome the public commitments of Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to make it work. We continue to call on Israel to ensure that its actions are in accordance with international law. We are concerned by Israel's military actions and the effect this has on civilians. We were particularly concerned by the incident in Beit Hanoun. On 8 November my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary issued a statement expressing our concerns. Israel has suspended its policy of punitive house demolitions. Israel does, however, destroy property on the grounds of security concerns.
	We remain concerned at the restrictions on movement of Palestinians in and between Gaza and the West Bank. We continue to call on both sides to implement the agreement on movement and access in full. We also call on Israel to route the barrier on or behind the Green Line. The routing of the barrier on occupied land is illegal. We continue to raise these issues with the Israeli Government.

Israel and Palestine: Peace Talks

Lord Dykes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have made an assessment of a possible change of policy by Hamas representatives and other Palestinian groups concerning the process of de facto recognition of Israel to de jure recognition, and a possible approach to a full peace treaty.

Lord Triesman: We remain deeply concerned that neither the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority nor Hamas as a movement has committed to the quartet's (EU, US, UN and Russia) three principles: to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept all previous agreements and obligations. As my right honourable friend the Prime Minister made clear during his visit to the region on 9-11 September, we would be ready to re-engage with a Palestinian Government if they were based on the quartet principles. We welcome President Abbas's continuing efforts to form a new Government.

Light Pollution

Lord Patten: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	When they intend to bring forward legislation on the avoidance of light pollution that was announced following the publication of the planning guidance PPS23 by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2004; and what further measures they intend to take in order to protect night sky.

Baroness Andrews: The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 amended Section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to include artificial light emitted from premises which is prejudicial to health or a nuisance as capable of constituting a statutory nuisance.
	The Government are developing guidance to manage the light environment in England as an annexe to Planning Policy Statement 23 (Planning and Pollution Control). The Government will aim to consult on the draft annexe in 2007.

Ministry of Defence: Statutory Instruments Committee

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What action the Ministry of Defence is taking to avoid any repetition of the finding communicated to the ministry by the chairman of the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee that the Explanatory Memorandum on the draft Pensions Appeals Tribunals (Armed Forces and Reserve Forces Compensation Scheme) (Amendment) Regulations 2006 "proved to be inaccurate"; and
	What steps the Ministry of Defence is taking in response to the call communicated to the ministry by the chairman of the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee for certainty in future that the ministry's consultation procedures "are reliable, not least to be able to inform Parliament properly about the impact of the measures proposed".

Lord Drayson: I refer the noble Lord to the letter from my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on page 23 of the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee's 49th Report of Session 2005-06 (HL Paper 275).

Office of Fair Trading

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Office of Fair Trading investigates cases only where the possible predation is short of national significance.

Lord Truscott: The investigation of competition cases, and the approach adopted in doing so, is a matter for the Office of Fair Trading. I have therefore asked the office to provide a response to the point raised by the noble Lord. This is reproduced below.
	The Office of Fair Trading receives around 1,200 competition complaints each year. It cannot pursue all of these complaints and thus uses a set of published criteria to assist in prioritising those cases that it should take forward. These criteria are used to help the OFT judge how best to use its limited resources; maximising its impact for the benefit of UK consumers. The most recent set of criteria was published in October 2006, but related criteria have been in use since autumn 2004.
	Subject to strategic questions around the best mix of cases for the OFT to pursue (including whether the OFT is itself best placed to pursue a particular matter), the OFT's prioritisation criteria for competition cases are set out in the following six steps:
	an estimate of the direct consumer benefit that would result from intervention—or, in other words, the consumer harm that would be reduced/removed by taking action;deterrent effect—including any estimate of the wider consumer detriment reduced/removed as a result of deterrence;any aggravating or mitigating factors;the precedent, policy or profile value of the particular case;an estimate of the OFT resources required to achieve the desired outcome in the case; andan estimate of the likelihood of success.
	Any predation case, whether involving national or local firms, would be assessed against these criteria and a decision reached on whether OFT action was warranted as a matter of administrative priority. These criteria permit the OFT to take forward all forms of predation cases, whether involving national or local firms. For example, a "local" predation case might not be rated highly on step 1 of the above criteria but might rate higher on some other criteria, in particular deterrence or precedent value. Equally, a "national" case may be rated highly on step 1 (for example, because of the greater number of consumers affected), but then less well on other steps.

Olympic Games 2012: Roadshow

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which constituencies the Olympic roadshow visited during the 2006 summer tour; how many were Labour-held seats; how many were Conservative-held seats; and how many were Liberal Democrat-held seats.

Lord Davies of Oldham: All roadshow venues and locations for the 2012 roadshow were agreed in conjunction with the London 2012 nations and regions group and regional stakeholders. Venues were selected to ensure that there was a wide and diverse coverage of events and locations from within each region in England and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. As well as all four capital cities and other major towns, the roadshow visited 2012 competition venues, sporting events, venues with special significance for the Olympic or Paralympic movement, cultural venues and tourist attractions.
	A number of events were held in major regional centres in order to be accessible to as many people as possible. Guests from across a much wider area than single constituencies were invited and attended these events.
	The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport invited every MP whose constituency was visited to join the event as well as inviting the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Olympic spokesmen to visit the roadshow at any convenient point.
	In total, the roadshow visited 62 constituencies, of which 37 were Labour-held seats, 12 were Conservative-held seats, five were Liberal Democrat-held seats, one was a Plaid Cymru-held seat, one was a Scottish National Party-held seat, two were Social Democratic and Labour Party-held seats, three were Democratic Unionist Party-held seats and one was an Ulster Unionist Party-held seat. A list of the constituencies is shown below.
	
		
			 City of London & Westminster Cardiff Central 
			 Vauxhall Swansea West 
			 Hornsey & Wood Green Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 
			 West Ham Caernarfon 
			 Beckenham Wrexham 
			 Wimbledon Sheffield Central 
			 Islington Leeds Central 
			 North Birmingham, Perry Barr Kingston upon Hull East 
			 Birmingham, Ladywood Darlington 
			 Stratford-on-Avon Sunderland North 
			 Dudley South Newcastle upon Tyne Central 
			 Ludlow Edinburgh North & Leith 
			 Leicester South Perth and North Perthshire 
			 Loughborough Aberdeen 
			 Nottingham South North Stirling 
			 Derby South Glasgow Central 
			 Brentwood & Ongar Glasgow South 
			 Broxbourne Foyle 
			 North East Cambridgeshire South Antrim 
			 Milton Keynes East Antrim 
			 North East Milton Keynes Belfast South 
			 South West Aylesbury North Down 
			 Beaconsfield Belfast North 
			 Brighton, Pavilion Dumfries & Galloway 
			 South Dorset Westmoreland & Lonsdale 
			 Tiverton & Honiton Preston 
			 Plymouth, Sutton Blackburn 
			 Bath Rossendale & Darwen 
			 Bristol West Stretford & Urmston 
			 Newport East Manchester Central 
			 Newport West Liverpool, Riverside

Olympic Games 2012: Security

Lord Jopling: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, in view of NATO's security role at the 2004 Athens Olympics, they have begun talks with NATO with regard to the 2012 Olympic Games.

Lord Drayson: Security arrangements for the Olympic Games are a matter for the Home Secretary and operational oversight of security arrangements for the Games is vested in the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
	The Ministry of Defence is engaged with the police at the appropriate levels to examine any potential requirement for military support and, should it be required, would co-ordinate official talks with NATO regarding the security of the Games. No such talks have taken place to date.

People Trafficking

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What reasons they have for not signing the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The UK is currently considering whether to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. The Government are examining how the convention's approach could best be harmonised with effective immigration controls.

Prisoners: Skills

Lord Beaumont of Whitley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Adonis on 6 November (WA91—2) on the skills of prisoners on reception into prisons in 2002—03, what were the skills of those prisoners on leaving prison.

Lord Adonis: No process was in place for tracking progress by individual prisoners in 2002-03 so the information requested is not available.

Railways: Cornish Riviera Sleeper

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it was a condition of the award of the Greater Western franchise to First Group that it should enable bookings for the Cornish Riviera Sleeper service to be made online.

Lord Davies of Oldham: It is not a condition of the First Great Western franchise agreement that bookings for the Night Riviera Sleeper to/from Cornwall be made online.

Roads: Deaths

The Earl of Dundee: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Based on their analysis of fatal crashes during the past five years, which are the three most common fatal crash types in which drivers aged 17 to 19 are involved.

Lord Davies of Oldham: In 2005, the three most frequently reported contributory factors for 17 to 19 year-old drivers of motor vehicles in fatal personal injury road accidents reported to the police were:
	
		
			 Loss of control 38 per cent 
			 Travelling too fast for conditions 22 per cent 
			 Learner or inexperienced driver 18 per cent 
		
	
	Information on contributory factors is not available prior to 2005.

Security Industry Authority

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Scotland of Asthal on 2 November (WA 72), whether the Security Industry Authority has met its objectives.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The SIA's objectives for 2005-06 were published in the corporate and business plan 2005-06 at www.thesia.org.uk/home/about_sia/publications/publications_financial.htm. Full information about the SIA's performance in meeting these objectives will be published in the annual report 2005-06.

Smoking: Tobacco Duty

Lord Laird: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether it is their policy to increase the rate of duty on tobacco in excess of the rate of inflation in order to decrease the percentage of smokers in the population.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: Successive UK Governments have pursued a policy of establishing and maintaining high levels of tax on cigarettes, which has been proven to help to reduce smoking prevalence. The proportion of adults who smoke has decreased from 28 per cent in 1998 to 25 per cent in 2004. The Government's current target is to reduce smoking prevalence to 21 per cent by 2010.
	When taking decisions at Budget, the Chancellor takes all factors into consideration, including the likely effect of tax decisions on the prevalence of smoking and on the economic incentives to smuggle tobacco.

Sport: Community Club Development Programme

Lord Higgins: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans Sport England has for the expansion of the Community Club Development Programme.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The Community Club Development Programme (CCDP) has been extended for an additional two years to support sports facility capital projects in the period 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funding for CCDP beyond 2008 will be subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review considerations.

Sport: Elite Coach Programme

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the target number of coaches to complete the elite coach programme by 2012.

Lord Davies of Oldham: UK Sport anticipates that by 2012 the elite coach programme will have produced around 60 elite British coaches.

Sport: Elite Coach Programme

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is the budget for the elite coach programme for each of the years 2006-12.

Lord Davies of Oldham: Each annual intake on the elite coach programme is budgeted at £500,000 of exchequer funding at current prices. In 2006-07, two programmes are running resulting in a budget of £1 million. From 2007-08 onwards until 2012-13, with three programmes running concurrently, the budget will be £1.5 million per annum.

Sport: Elite Coach Programme

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many British coaches have qualified through their elite coach programme; and which Olympic governing bodies of sport have contracted these coaches.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The elite coach programme was formally launched by UK Sport in 2004. It is a tailored programme that lasts three years with a new intake of coaches in October each year, carefully selected following nominations by the national governing bodies of sport. Currently 27 coaches are being supported by the elite coach programme, with the first intake of eight coaches due to complete in September 2007.
	The existing elite coaches supported by the programme are from the following 11 Olympic sports: athletics, canoeing, cycling, diving, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, swimming, triathlon and weightlifting.

Sport: Governing Bodies' Overheads

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much UK Sport and Sport England has spent on rate, rents and overheads during the current financial year to date; and what were the corresponding figures for 2004 and 2005.

Lord McKenzie of Luton: UK Sport and Sport England have spent the following amounts on rate, rents and overheads during 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 to date.
	
		
			  2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 
			 £ millions Forecast Year to Date Actual Year to Date Actual Year to Date 
			 Rents   
			 UK Sport 0.45 0.22 0.45 0.22 0.45 0.22 
			 Sport England 1.847 0.945 1.778 0.843 2.264 1.113 
			 Rates   
			 UK Sport 0.17 0.09 0.17 0.09 0.14 0.07 
			 Sport England 0.129 0.02 0.252 0.04 0.44 0.118 
			 Overheads   
			 UK Sport* 4.83 2.06 4.65 1.75 4.18 1.67 
			 Sport England** 13.365 6.341 15.99 8.938 11.954 5.06 
			 *Corporate Services, Policy/Communications, CEO/Board, Grant Administration 
			 ** Corporate Services, Policy/Communications, CEO/Board 
		
	
	Sport England does not classify grant administration as an overhead as it is not considered a central support cost and is a function fulfilled by its regional and national teams.

Sport: Ms Sue Campbell

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much Ms Sue Campbell has been paid in her advisory role to the Department for Education and Skills for each year since her appointment in January 2000.

Lord Adonis: Sue Campbell's position as non-political adviser on PE and school sport to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is unsalaried.

Sport: National Sports Centres

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the most recent market values and running costs incurred for each of the national sports centres at Lilleshall, Bisham and Holme Pierrepoint; and whether they have any plans to sell them.

Lord Davies of Oldham: The current valuations are:
	
		
			 National Centre Valuation £ millions 2006-07 Net Running Cost £ millions 
			 Lilleshall 27 3.4 
			 Bisham Abbey 15 1.1 
			 Holme Pierrepont N/A 1.4 
			 Freehold land and buildings were subject to a full valuation at 31 March 2006. The appropriate basis of valuation for Bisham Abbey and Lilleshall is the depreciated replacement cost (DCR). The DCR basis required an open market valuation of the land for its existing use and an estimate of the gross current replacement cost of the buildings and other site works from which deductions are then made to allow for age, condition and obsolescence. 
			 There is not a valuation for Holme Pierrepont as Sport England does not own the freehold.

Sport: Public Relations

Lord Luke: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether UK Sport has contracted external consultants to advise on public relations; if so, with whom; and at what cost.

Lord Davies of Oldham: UK Sport does not retain any external consultants to advise on public relations but has on limited occasions contracted on a one-off project basis for specific support or advice. In the current financial year it has contracted one specific project with Vero Communications between July and September 2006 at a total cost of £7,199.

Sudan: Mobile Helipad Exports

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have authorised the export to the Sudan of mobile helipads, made by Vaughan's of Leicester (Aerosystems) Ltd; if so, why, in view of the use of helicopters to attack civilians in Darfur, this export licence has been granted; and whether sanctions against Sudan have been contravened.

Lord Truscott: The goods in question are not covered by the UK military list or controlled otherwise by UK strategic export legislation. An export licence was not, therefore, required in this instance. As the goods are not caught by UK strategic export controls, they do not fall under the Sudan embargo.
	On the basis of information made available to the Government by the exporter in question, I am satisfied that the helipads were not supplied to the Government of Sudan and are being used for humanitarian purposes.

Sudan: Oil Revenues

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What safeguards exist to ensure that international aid contributions and the south of Sudan's share of oil revenues are protected and spent only for proper purposes; whether a World Bank trust fund is in operation for these funds; and, if so, who is responsible for its expenditure.

Baroness Amos: Under the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) is entitled to a 50 per cent share of revenues from oil production in southern Sudan. State governments in both northern and southern Sudan are also entitled to at least 2 per cent of revenues from oil produced in their state. An independent National Petroleum Commission, comprising representatives of the national Government, GOSS and oil-producing state governments, has been set up to monitor oil revenue-sharing arrangements. Oil production and revenue data are also made available to the public on a monthly basis.
	Once oil revenues are transferred to GOSS or southern state governments, the funds are spent according to GOSS and state government financial regulations. These are being improved and strengthened with support from the international community. The World Bank manages a trust fund for southern Sudan to which donors (including the UK) have pledged a total of $103.9 million. The fund is in support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and programming has been developed through consultation with the Government of Southern Sudan and a national needs assessment exercise. As manager of the fund, the World Bank carries the responsibility for ensuring that donor contributions are safeguarded. All projects approved for funding are subject to World Bank fiduciary regulations and procedures and it is our view that these are applied rigorously.

Victims' Commissioner

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will set up an independent inquiry in accordance with the recommendations by Mr Justice Girvan concerning the intervention by the Northern Ireland Office in the course of judicial review proceedings in Northern Ireland challenging the appointment of Bertha McDougal as Victims' Commissioner.

Lord Goldsmith: Mr Justice Girvan referred certain matters to me, as Attorney-General for Northern Ireland and as,
	"the guardian of the public interest in the due administration of justice",
	so that I may investigate concerns of his that arose during the conduct of judicial review proceedings in respect of the appointment of the interim Victims' Commissioner. I have concluded that that is best done by appointing an independent person to carry out a review and report to me. Mr Peter Scott QC has agreed to carry out the review and will report back to me. He will commence immediately. The terms of reference we have agreed are as follows:
	Further to the referral of papers to the Attorney-General by Girvan J and in the light of his judgments of 9 November and 20 November 2006:
	to examine the concerns raised by the judge;to examine in particular the way in which the Government carried out their obligation of candour in the judicial review proceedings relating to the appointment of an interim Commissioner for Victims and Survivors; andto report to the Attorney-General with recommendations to prevent a recurrence of any shortcomings identified.

Water Supply: Abstraction

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Environment Agency's decision to remove online access to water abstraction is (a) necessary for national security; and (b) in accordance with the principles of the Aarhus Convention; and for how long it will be necessary to deny online access to this information.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Baroness to the answer given on 27 November 2006, Official Report col. WA34.

World War II: Conscripted Coal Miners

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which departments are involved in the consideration of some form of recognition for the conscripted coal miners who served in the mines during the Second World War; and when the report is expected.

Lord Drayson: To date, consultation on the possibility of some form of further recognition for the conscripted coal miners has involved the Department of Trade and Industry, the Home Office and the Cabinet Office. We will make an announcement on the outcome of these deliberations in due course.

World War II: Conscripted Coal Miners

Lord Mason of Barnsley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Drayson on 1 November (WA 29), whether there is a register of the conscripted coal miners who served in the mines during the Second World War.

Lord Drayson: Discussions with the vice-president of the Bevin Boys Association and research by officials have revealed no register of conscripted coal miners who served in the mines during the Second World War. It is understood that much of the official information on the Bevin boys was destroyed in the 1950s.